You’ve heard countless people share about their unique extracurricular commitments by now. Most applications (for colleges, scholarships, teacher recommendation requests, etc.) ask students to explain their extracurriculars to understand them outside the typical classroom setting. Here’s a guide on how to choose the right commitments for you.
Your Interests -
Ask yourself: What are you passionate about? What excites you most? Do you like to be active or prefer a calm setting? Individual journey or a team experience? Understanding which qualities motivate and inspire you is essential to selecting activities that will best promote your growth. Regardless of a club/team’s prestige, joining an activity you truly connect with will allow you to stay dedicated for multiple years. Remember, these extracurricular activities are more than mere bullet points written on applications. They serve as fundamental opportunities for self-discovery, community development, and personal growth.
Time availability -
Aside from your sincere interest for these organizations, managing your time is key to successful extracurricular experiences. When you struggle to distribute your time wisely, the activities you once found meaningful become exhausting. Take a day to write out your potential extracurriculars and record their time commitments. Be realistic. As you organize a list of activities based on your interest level and availability, you will find your priorities. At times, it’s necessary to sacrifice less significant interests to explore activities that you find more captivating and beneficial in the long run. Create a schedule that is approachable, not impossible!
Future goals -
Think about the big picture. It is great, and in fact encouraged, to participate in extracurricular organizations that will help you find a community, create memories, and relieve academic stress. However, if you have certain careers or future goals in mind, dive into specialized extracurricular opportunities with clear connections to your field of interest. For example, if you want to explore medicine in the future, seek hospital volunteer openings, research projects, summer programs, internships, medical clubs and more! There is a wide variety of activities to explore, and these extracurriculars will help you determine if a career is truly a good fit for you. Plus, your extracurricular resume will reveal how effectively you worked towards pursuing your passions.
Ask yourself: What are you passionate about? What excites you most? Do you like to be active or prefer a calm setting? Individual journey or a team experience? Understanding which qualities motivate and inspire you is essential to selecting activities that will best promote your growth. Regardless of a club/team’s prestige, joining an activity you truly connect with will allow you to stay dedicated for multiple years. Remember, these extracurricular activities are more than mere bullet points written on applications. They serve as fundamental opportunities for self-discovery, community development, and personal growth.
Time availability -
Aside from your sincere interest for these organizations, managing your time is key to successful extracurricular experiences. When you struggle to distribute your time wisely, the activities you once found meaningful become exhausting. Take a day to write out your potential extracurriculars and record their time commitments. Be realistic. As you organize a list of activities based on your interest level and availability, you will find your priorities. At times, it’s necessary to sacrifice less significant interests to explore activities that you find more captivating and beneficial in the long run. Create a schedule that is approachable, not impossible!
Future goals -
Think about the big picture. It is great, and in fact encouraged, to participate in extracurricular organizations that will help you find a community, create memories, and relieve academic stress. However, if you have certain careers or future goals in mind, dive into specialized extracurricular opportunities with clear connections to your field of interest. For example, if you want to explore medicine in the future, seek hospital volunteer openings, research projects, summer programs, internships, medical clubs and more! There is a wide variety of activities to explore, and these extracurriculars will help you determine if a career is truly a good fit for you. Plus, your extracurricular resume will reveal how effectively you worked towards pursuing your passions.
Advice:
One thing to keep in mind is consistency. Although joining multiple clubs and organizations may seem reputable, your level of dedication and contribution to these activities is more important. Some ways to display your commitment and individuality are (but not limited to) serving as an officer, leading a team project, planning a fundraiser or event, and earning awards/recognitions. Ultimately, however, your extracurricular experience depends on what you make of the opportunities! Follow your passions and focus on the distinct journey each activity provides.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆
One thing to keep in mind is consistency. Although joining multiple clubs and organizations may seem reputable, your level of dedication and contribution to these activities is more important. Some ways to display your commitment and individuality are (but not limited to) serving as an officer, leading a team project, planning a fundraiser or event, and earning awards/recognitions. Ultimately, however, your extracurricular experience depends on what you make of the opportunities! Follow your passions and focus on the distinct journey each activity provides.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆